Signal Stuck in Traffic: Urban Mobility Dream vs Reality — Cars Still 70% of Miles

Summary

Despite years of promises around mobility-as-a-service, autonomous driving and micromobility, cars still account for roughly 70% of urban travel distance and about 90% in rural areas, according to an Arthur D. Little analysis published via Smart Cities Dive. The analysis finds that the availability of alternative mobility services persuades only about 30% of people to give up personal car use, leaving the remaining majority to be addressed through demand-management policy rather than service supply alone. A related Arthur D. Little "Future of Mobility 5.0" report notes that growth in public transport and active mobility has been less than 10% globally over the past 15 years. The same report found that between 42% and 72% of residents in cities of more than 250,000 people said they would potentially give up at least one car if sufficient mobility alternatives existed. The article's authors, described as mobility and transport experts at Arthur D. Little, argue cities must act as both regulator and enabler, setting measurable targets to reduce vehicle miles traveled.